The Great Stars is one of the most versatile warhammers available in Elden Ring, offering a unique combination of heavy physical impact, innate blood loss build-up, and passive health restoration upon striking enemies. Whether you are creating a dedicated Strength build or combining hemorrhage mechanics with health sustain, this weapon serves as a reliable asset throughout your journey across the Lands Between. Understanding where to discover this weapon and how to properly utilize its distinctive traits will help you maximize its effectiveness in both single-target boss fights and intense area combat.
Where to Find the Great Stars in Elden Ring
Players can locate the Great Stars within a guarded carriage traveling along the main road in the Altus Plateau region. To reach this area quickly, fast travel to the Road of Iniquity Side Path Site of Grace and head southwest along the path. The carriage is pulled by two massive Trolls and accompanied by various armed guards, requiring players to either defeat the escort or carefully sprint onto the back of the moving wagon to loot the chest. Additionally, players who defeat Magnus the Beast Claw in Writheblood Ruins can secure a second copy of this weapon.
Key Stats and Weapon Scaling Mechanics
As a Great Hammer, the Great Stars primarily scales with Strength and Dexterity, making it an excellent choice for martial character archetypes. It deals heavy Strike damage, which is particularly effective against heavily armored foes, stone-skinned enemies, and skeletal creatures across various dungeons. Players can also alter its scaling by applying different Ashes of War, allowing it to adapt effortlessly to Flame Art, Heavy, or Occult weapon affinities depending on your character stats.
Innate Bleed and Life-Stealing Capabilities
What sets the Great Stars apart from most heavy striking weapons is its built-in Hemorrhage status effect, allowing high poise damage to pair seamlessly with percentage-based bleed damage. Furthermore, every successful hit restores 1% of the wielder's maximum health, triggering even if the target blocks the incoming strike. This healing property synergizes exceptionally well with multi-hit Ash of War skills like Wild Strikes or Prelate's Charge, quickly replenishing your health bar during aggressive exchanges.
Optimal Powerstancing and Combat Strategies
Because players can acquire two copies of the Great Stars in a single playthrough, dual-wielding them offers massive damage potential and doubled status buildup. Equipping jump-attack boosting gear such as the Claw Talisman or Raptor's Black Feathers significantly enhances its heavy leap attacks. This combination enables players to break enemy stance rapidly while simultaneously regaining health and inflicting massive blood loss on tough bosses.
